Gloves are widely used as a protective measure and have become mandatory in many industries and nearly all medical and surgical settings. In particular, disposable gloves are required as a means for protecting medical and surgical staff from coming into contact with bodily fluids during surgical procedures, medical examinations, laboratory testing and other medical procedures. Disposable gloves have traditionally been made of rubber materials such as latex, thermoplastic materials such as vinyl, and other natural and synthetic materials.
Many gloves are provided in packaging having a cavity for holding the gloves. The packaging includes an opening for removing the gloves from the packaging. The opening is typically revealed by removing a perforated portion of the packaging to access the gloves. Once the perforated portion of the packaging is removed to reveal the opening, the gloves are exposed to the ambient environment. As the ambient environment may contain microorganisms, pathogens, small airborne particles of dust and debris and other air contaminants, the gloves contained in the packaging may be exposed to undesirable materials or contaminants that may contaminate the gloves while they are in the packaging.
Thus, there exists a need for a glove packaging that includes a barrier to protect gloves contained within the glove packaging from microorganisms, airborne particles and other materials or contaminants that may contaminate the gloves prior to removal from the packaging. Preferably, the barrier can also destroy any microorganisms, pathogens or other materials or contaminants that come in contact with the barrier to further reduce the possibility of contamination.